Inking mechanism for printing-presses.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

S. L. MORGAN. INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSESx APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 19, 1905.

STEPHEN L. MORGAN, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

INK ING MECHANISM FOR PRlNTlNG-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed August 19, 1905. Serial No. 274,829.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, STEPHEN L. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residingin Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of-New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Inking Mechanisms for Printing-Machines, ofwhich' The object of the invention is to provide a;

simple automatic inking mechanism convenlently located and easily and economically operated both as regards consumption of.

power and the quantity of ink used.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawings form a part of; this specification and show a preferred formv of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the working.

parts of a D-roller plate printing press equipped with the improved inking device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

portion of the inking mechanism alone. Fig.

4 is a side elevation of certain parts employed in the reciprocationof the bed. Fig. 5 is an end view, partly in vertical section, showmg a portion of the inking mechanism on. a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the D-rollerandcer tain immediately-adj acent portions.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The machine illustrated is on the lines of an ordinary D-rollerpress altered to conform to the requirements of the invention and-may be understood to be driven by powerapplied to the shaft of the D-roller.

The frame is marked A and comprises two vertical side frames, between which is mounted a reciprocating bed or plank B, supported on antifriction-rollers B B, journaled in the frames. Below the plank is a strong supporting-roller B mounted in bearings in the side frames, and above the plank is the segmental printing or D roller 0' on a shaft C,

Fig. 3 is. a corresponding view from below, showing a extending through boxes guided inverticalslots in the frames, supportedon springs and adjusted toward and from the upperface of the plank by screws C Connected with the D-roller is a segmental flange C corresponding to the contour of the D-rollerandlying just beyond-the .margin of the plank. This flange carries an arm C, adapted to strike a lug B adjustably secured to the edge of the plank and initiate theinovement ofthe latter in opposition to the gravity ofa weight B tending to return the plank and suspended froma strap B attached to .the rear end of the plank and running on a pulley loosely mountedon the shaft of the rear. rollers B. The engraved plate or analogous printingsurface (marked M) is mountedin any suitable manner upon the convex face of the II roller, to which it is curved to.conform, and the card or other surface to be printed upon is placed onthe plank and receives the impression in its passage under theD-roller.

The inking device is placed horizontally in rear of the D-roller, and the ink is supplied, distributed, and delivered by mechanisms operated bythe reciprocations ofthe plank andhaving certain portions directly connected, thereto. F is flat bar in two portions lapped one upon the other. and joined; by bolts extendin through slots in each, by which the length of the bar may be varied: as required. The bar extends rearwardly from a transverse brace A between the side frames and. is supported at the rear end upon a spring A or other slightly-yielding support. On the upper face of the bar, nearthe rear end, are two horizontalv disks or. circular inkplates F F having central studs extending through the bar and serving .asjournals with which the plates rotate. The rearmost, F,

has an ink-fountain F in. which is a fountam-roller F, rotated by its frictional contact with the plate and delivering ink thereto from a supply "in the fountain, controlled by a scraper F The fountain is supported by a bracket F, attached to the bar F and overhanging the rear portion of the ink-plate.

In adjustable housings or brackets B on the edges of the plank is carried a pair of ink-distributing rollers F F which at each reciprocation of the blank traverse the inner ink-plate F and one, the roller F partially traverses the ink-plate F, taking ink therefrom and delivering it to the plate F whence it is carried by the roller F to a revolving roller F mounted in stationary bearings on the bar F. From the roller F the ink thus uniformly distributed is taken by an oscillating roller F and presented at proper intervals in the path of the printing-plate M.

The oscillations of the roller F are induced by the action. of one or more removable sections or blocks C arranged segmentally on a disk C, carried on the overhanging end of the shaft C and serving as a' cam working against an arm F on the swing ing frame F in which the roller F is mounted. The series of blocks holds the 'roller F against the roller F in opposition to the force of a spring F which on the release of the arm F swings the roller into contact with the plate M. A greater or less number 01 blocks C correspondingly increases or diminishes the length of the cam,

and thus permits the period of contact of the roller F with the plate to be varied, and. also by changing the positions of the blocks allows the period of contact to be adjusted to the position of the plate on the D-roller.

The ink-plates F F are slowly rotated step by step by pawls F F, carried by arms F F and engaging the ratchet-wheels F F" beneath the bar F. The required swing of the arms is imparted by the contact with the longer arm F of a pin B carried by the plank, and the motion thus produced is transmitted to the shorter arm F by a link F The ink-plates are held against movement in the reverse direction by pawls F on the under face of the bar F, engaging with the same ratehetwheels, as will be understood.

It is important to the successful operation of the inking mechanism that the plank make a complete or nearly complete reciprocation at each revolution of the D-roller irrespective of the length of plate M, so that the ink-rollers F 7 F shall make the required traverse of the ink-plates, and it is also imperative that the plank be entirely free to move at a rate determined by the peripheral travel of the plate during the impression. These conditions are secured by the frictional contact of the flange C with a surface on an adjustable block B on the plank. The block has a dovetailed rib matching a similarly-shaped groove 1) in the edge of the plank and is held in the desired position by screws B. On the upper face of the block is secured a strip B" of leather or other material, and. the block is so located relatively to the position of the plate M on the D-roller as to present the rear end of the strip 13 in position to be frictionally' engaged by the periphery of the flange C at the instant the impression is completed, (see Fig. 4,) and the surface B is of sufficient length to insure such frictional engagement during the whole travel of the remaining portion of the se mental periphery, thus causing a sufficient rearward movement of the plank without interfering with the natural movement of the plank while the impression is being made. By adjusting the block B in the groove 5 the frictional surface may be .moved to complete the reciprocation for any length of printing-plate. The plank returns automaticall y when released by the action of the weight B The gI'OOVOSfib I) along the edges of the plank also receive the lug B and the housings B carrying the bearings for the rollers F F, and permit these parts to be adjusted for wardly and rearwardly, as found necessary.

I have shown the shaft C of the D-roller as equipped with a pulley C by which continuous rotary movement may be imparted; but it will be understood that the shaft may be otherwise dri\%n by power or may be turned by hand. parted to the ink-roller F by a belt running on a pulley F on its shaft and a pulley C" on the D-roller shaft. Gearing may bejemployed or the ink-roller driven from a counter-shaft. (Not shown.)

The several ink-rollers may be all of suflicient length to supply ink to the widest plate; but I prefer to use a roller F of a length conforming approximately to the width of the engraved portion of the plate to be printed, for the reason that a saving in the amount of ink applied is thus efl'ected. and less required to be removed in the wiping operation, which with the polishing may be understood for the purposes of this invention 'to be by hand. Another advantage due to the use of the short roller F is an in creased uniformity in applying ink to the plate. For example, if a full-length roller be substituted-for the short roller F it will be seen that the succeeding rollers will tend to build up or increase in diameter uniformly by accretion, excepting the swinging roller F 9, which by continually losing its ink in a band or zone corresponding to the widthof the plate becomes gradually higher at each side of such zone. Thus conditioned the higher parts of the swinging roller continue to build up and tend to hold the low part or zone away from the surface of the revolving roller, and such zone does not receive and deliver to the plate the proper allowance of ink. The employment of the short roller F lessens or entirely obviates this difficulty by supplying the ink to those portions only of the rollers F" and F from which they again deliver it. The spring A supporting the bar F, provides the yielding quality necessary to the proper contact of the ink-distributing rollers with the ink-plates and the uniform distribution of the ink, and by operating the inking device by the reciprocations of the plank the mechanism is simplified. and favorably presented for supervision by the attendant.

Rapid rotation is im- The bar F and its attachments may be removed by simply disconnecting it from the brace A" and withdrawing it beneath the rollers, and the adjustability of the bar permits it to be lengthened or shortened and the position of the ink-plates relatively to the rollers F F changed, as may be found necessary or desirable.

Modifications may be made in the forms and arrangements of the parts in adapting the invention to other forms or styles of presses, and parts of the invention may be used without the whole.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character set forth, a printing-roller and a reciprocating plank, ink-plates supported independently of said plank and above the latter, and distributingrollers arranged to traverse said plates and carried by said plank.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, a. printing-roller and a reciprocating plank, ink-plates supported above said plank, distributing-rollers arranged to traverse said plates and carried by said plank, and an oscillating roller actuated by the revolutions of said printing-roller, arranged to receive ink from said distributing-rollers and deliver it to said printing-roller.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, a reciprocating plank, a bar extending lon itudinally of and above said plank, an iIlIiplate carried on said bar, means for revolving said ink-plate by the reciprocations of said plank, a distributingroller carried by said plank and arranged to traverse said inkplate, a relatively stationary revolving roller receiving ink from said distributing-roller, and a moving roller arranged to contact alternately with said revolving roller and a printing-surface.

4. In a machine of the character set forth, a printing-roller, a reciprocating plank, a bar extending longitudinally of and above said plank, a yielding support for said bar, and an ink-plate carried on said bar, distributingrollers carried by said plank and arranged to traverse said ink-plate, and means for delivering ink from said distributingrollers to a printing-surface on said printing-roller.

5. In a plate-printing machine, a printingroller adapted to carry plate-printing surfaces of different widths, an ink-plate and means for supplying ink thereto, a long distributing roller and a short distributingroller arranged to traverse said ink-plate, and a roller adapted to receive ink from said short roller and deliver it to the printing-surface, said short roller having a length correspond- 6o ing to the width of said printing-surface,

whereby the ink required for such printingsurface will be received thereon in a narrow stri 6? In a plate-printing machine, a printingroller adapted to carry plate-printing surfaces of different widths, a reciprocating plank, an ink-plate and means for supplying ink thereto, a long distributing-roller and a short distributing-roller carried by said plank and arranged to traverse said ink-plate, a long relatively stationary revolving roller arranged to receive ink from said short roller, and a long oscillating roller arranged to receive ink from said revolving roller and transfer it to the printing-surface, the said short roller having a length corresponding to the width of such printing-surface, whereby those portions of said revolving roller and oscillating roller corresponding to the zone of contact of said short roller will be built up by the accumulation of ink thereon, and the deposition of ink on such printing-surface restricted to a narrow strip proportionate to the length of said short roller.

7. A reciprocating plank, a D-roller, a stationary bar arranged longitudinally of said plank, an ink-plate on said bar, and distributing-rollers carried by said plank and arranged to coact with said ink-plate.

8. A reciprocating plank, a D-roller, a stationary bar arranged longitudinally of and above said plank, an ink-plate carried by said bar, means actuated by said plank for rotating said plate, and ink-distributing rollers carried by said plank and arranged to coact with said ink-plate.

9. A reciprocating plank, a D-roller, a stationary bar arranged longitudinally of and above said plank, means for yieldingly supporting said bar, an ink-plate carried by said bar, means actuated by said plank for rotat ing said plate, and ink-distributing rollers carried .by said plank and arranged to coact with said inkplate.

10. A reciprocating plank, a D-roller, a stationary bar arranged longitudinally of and above said plank, an ink-plate carried by said bar, means actuated by said plank for rotating said plate, an ink-fountain carried by said bar and having a fountain-roller actuated by the rotation of said plate, and inkdistributing rollers carried by said plank and arranged to coact with said ink-plate.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN L. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. HAUoK, CHARLES It. SEARLE. 

